Increasing production prompted Kent to build a railroad and in 1909 he purchased the rails from recently closed Quartette Mine railroad near Searchlight. After facing delivery delays, rails were finally laid between Jean and Goodsprings in June 1911. An additional 4.5 miles was added in August of that year, connecting the mines north of Goodsprings with the mill. At the expense of sharp curves, the track was laid up steeper grades of a maximum of 4-5% on the section between Jean and Goodsprings, the grade from there to the mines reached 12% in some short sections.

The first locomotive on the line was a primitive gasoline locomotive that would prove it was ill suited for the steep grades on the line. At the end of the first few months of operation, the locomotive had been involved in three wrecks, in response a Shay was purchased early in 1912. Between 1915 and 1925 the railroad operated a profitable business and the surrounding area grew. In 1916 Goodsprings was able to boast a population of 800 people. On September 19, 1924 the original mill in Goodsprings burned down.

In 1925 the company came under the management of Jesse Knight and would remain so until 1930. In the summer of 1927 a severe flood damaged the roadbed delaying shipments. Later in the year an engineer lost control of shay #2, thankfully he was able to jump to safety, but the ensuing wreck left the locomotive destroyed. As a result the line did not operate again until the spring of 1928 when a new Whitcomb locomotive was purchased and only then operated in supply trains to the mine. The next year a Plymouth locomotive was added and ores again moved down the mountain.